The time signature of a given piece of music determines how many beats the piece has per measure, and what type of note represents a single beat. You can figure this out by looking at a song's time signature or counting the beats of a song you are listening to. The time signature is indicated on the musical staff just after the clef and key signature. It is not typically displayed more than once unless the time signature changes.

Steps

Method1

Decoding Time Signatures

1

Read the top number. A time signature contains two numbers and is written as a fraction. The top number represents the number of beats in one measure of music.[1] Common top numbers include: 2, 3, 4, and 6.

For example, if the top number is “4”, then each measure consists of four beats. If the top number is “6”, then the measure consists of six beats.

2

Read the bottom number. In a time signature, the bottom number represents the type of note that receives the beat. Each type of note is assigned a specific number.

Identify time signature symbols. Instead of numbers, sometimes the time signature is represented by a symbol. The letter “C” stands for common time and it is used to replace 4/4 time. The letter “C” with a slash through it stands for cut time and is used to replace 2/4 time.[4]

Method2

Applying it to Music

1

Count in 4/4 time. When the time signature reads 4/4, each measure has four beats and the quarter note is worth one beat. This means that the whole note is worth four beats, the half note is worth 2 beats, the eighth note is worth ½ beat, and the sixteenth note is worth ¼ beat.

If the measure had four quarter notes, you would count the measure as “1, 2, 3, 4.”

If the measure had one quarter note followed by six eighth notes, you would count the measure as “1, 2-&, 3-&, 4-&.” “&” represents a ½ beat.

2

Count in 2/2 time. When the time signature reads 2/2, each measure receives two beats and the half note is worth one beat. This means that the whole note is worth two beats, the quarter note is worth 1/2 beat, the eighth note is worth 1/4 beat, and the sixteenth note is worth 1/8 beat.

If the measure had two half notes, you would count the measure as “1, 2.”

If the measure had four quarter notes, you would count the measure as “1-&, 2-&.” “&” represents a 1/2 beat.

If the measure had 4 sixteenth notes followed by one half note, you would count the measure as “1-e-&-a, 2.” “e-&-a” represents a ¼ beat.

3

Count in 6/8 time. When the time signature reads 6/8, each measure receives six beats and the eighth note is worth one beat. This means that the whole note is worth four beats, the half note is worth 4 beats, the quarter note is worth 2 beats, and the sixteenth note is worth 1/2 beat.

If the measure had six eighth notes, you would count the measure as “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.”

If the measure had 3 quarter notes, you would count the measure as “1-2, 3-4, 5-6.”.

If the measure had 4 sixteenth notes followed by one half note, you would count the measure as “1-&, 2-&, 3-4-5-6.” “&” represents a ½ beat.

Method3

Listening to Music

1

Identify the beat of a song. Every song has a beat, or a steady pulse. As you listen to the song, tap your toes or snap your fingers along to the beat.[5]

Let's use Old McDonald as an example. As you listen to or sing the song, you would tap your toes at the words "Old" + "Mc" + "Don-" + "ald" + "Had" + "A" + "Farm" "(rest)".

Remember, beats are grouped into measures. The time signature at the start of the piece determines how many beats appear in each measure and which type of note receives the beat. Sometimes a note falls on the beat, other times a rest lands on the beat.[6]

2

Divide the beats into measures. Measures, or bars, group beats together. Each measure contains the same number of beats. As you listen to the song, keep your ear tuned to the start of a new measure, or bar. This is usually indicated by a strong emphasis on a note (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 | ). The emphasis is usually something you "feel."

3

When you listen to or sing Old McDonald, the emphasis falls on the words "Old" and "had".

"Old" + "Mc" + "Don-" + "ald" | "Had" + "A" + "Farm" + "(rest)" |

On a musical score, a single vertical line separates one measure from another.

If the time signature changes in the middle of the song, the number of beats in each bar will change too.[7]

4

Count the beats per measure. Once you've divided the beats into even measures, count the number of beats between each set of bars. This number will be the top number of the time signature.

In Old McDonald, there are four beats per measure.

5

Do your best to determine the bottom number. Figuring out the bottom number requires some guess work. Base your guess on the speed of the song's beats. If the beats seem slow, the bottom number is probably "2". If the beats seem fast, the bottom number is likely "8". If the beats seem to pass at a medium speed (60 beats per minute), the bottom number is probably "4".

In Old McDonald, the beats pass at a medium rate. The bottom number is "4".

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Video

Tips

Define the types of notes and their time values. In music there are five very common types of notes: whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes. Their values are all relative to each other.

It is nearly impossible to determine the bottom number of a time signature just from listening to a song.